Intake-heater for automobiles



E. R. TABER. INTAKE'HEATER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED )UNE l0. 19l8.

I (Z a Patented May 3, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIOTT R. TAIBER, OF AGUSI-IN ET, MASSACHUSETTS.

, INTAKE-HEATER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921.

Application filed June 10, 1918. Serial No. 239,146.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELLIOTT R. TABER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Acushnet, in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IntakeHeaters for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement in internal combustion engines and has particular reference to a vaporizer therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved means for vaporizing liquid, hydrocarbon fluids, such as kerosene, while the engine is running and also at the time the same is started whereby an improved combustible mixture is produced.

Another object is to provide a vaporizer of this character which may be applied to the exhaust pipe of the engine and which is simple in construction, easy to manufacture and effective in carrying out the purpose for which it is designed.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an internal combustion engine showing the vaporizer applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the vaporizer.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar section on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

eferring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates generally an internal combustion engine which may be of any desired construction and which is provided with the usual carbureter 11 con nected, by the pipe 12, to the intake manifold 13 of the engine.

The vaporizer which comprises the essential feature of this invention is interposed in the pipe 12 between the carbureter and intake manifold and also extends transversely through the exhaust pipe 14. The

vaporizer comprises a frame 15 having the heads 16 secured to the frame and to the adjacent ends of the pipe 12. The sides of the frame 15 are likewise secured, in any suitable manner, to the adjacent ends of the exhaust'pipe 14 through which the frame of the vaporizer extends transversely and mounted in the heads 16 of the vaporizer are a plurality of heating tubes 17, preferably formed of brass, and through which the combustible mixture flows from the carbureter to the intake manifold. It will be apparent that by disposing the tubes 17 in and across the exhaust pipe 14 the same will become heated by the flow of the exhaust gases through the pipe 14 and around said tubes, and that the combustible mixture pass ing through said tubes will come in contact with the walls of the tubes and thereby have its temperature raised so that the fluid will be vaporized upon entering the intake manifold and the cylinders of the engine.

It is also desirable, particularly when the engine has become cold, to raise the temperature of the tubes 17 in order that the starting of the engine may be facilitated by the vaporization of the combustible mixture but is initially fed to the cylinders of the engine. To this end, use is preferably made of a heating wire 18 the ends of which are connected to a usual source of electrical supply and said wire is coiled about the several tubes 17 whereby to form heating coils therefor. vBy preference said coils are dis posed at adjacent ends of the tubes and at the end of that portion of the intake pipe 12 which is connected to the carbureter, and in order to keep them out of the path of hot gases flowing through the exhaust, they are located within a chamber 15 formed in the frame between its lower head 16 and a partition 16' slightly above such head, as seen in Fig. 3. It will be apparent that by passing a current through the wire 18 the same will heat the tubes 17 and thus vaporize the combustible mixture which originally passed therethrough to the engine. By reason of this vaporization it will be obvious that the starting of the engine will be greatly facilitated.

By reason of the fact that the coils are located in the chamber separated from the exhaust by the partition 16', it will be obvious that they will not become covered with soot and other products of combustion. Al-

though they do not extend the full length of the tubes 17, they heat the tubes and the heat travels the full length of the latter so as to warm the mixture in its flow to the engine.

What is claimed is- In an intake heater for automobiles, the combination with the intake and exhaust pipes crossing each other; of a frame inset at the point of crossing and open at its sides to the exhaust, heads at its top and bottom pierced with holes, a partition above the the intake lower head pierced with alined holes, this partition defining a chamber beneath the openingsv through all said holes communicating with and electrical heating coils around the tubes within said chamber.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELLIOTT R. TABER. Witnesses:

' R. A. PETTEY,

\NALTER H. Don.

to said exhaust, upright tubes 15 

